Folsom Street East Fetish Fair To Return To Chelsea After Year’s Absence

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The Folsom Street East Fair – a festival known for its celebration of “sexual freedom” – will return next year in a new location after a year’s absence.

The 17-year-old festival, which celebrates the “leather/fetish/kink community,” was canceled last year because of construction on West 28th Street in Chelsea where it has traditionally been held, according to published reports.

The cancellation came a year after residents of a new building in the area said they were “embarrassed,” by the festival, prompting organizers to put up a sidewalk corridor so they could walk home without passing through the festival, according to DNAInfo.

This year, the festival will return, but will move a block south to West 27th Street between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, organizer Dave Hughes told 1010 WINS.

“We did community reach-out and talked to a lot of the businesses on 27th Street, and you know, a lot of the places we spoke to like the Hotel Americano were very encouraging, and so, you know, we decided to move,” Hughes said.

Hughes emphasized that the festival does not involve full nudity or open sexual activity.

“We like to bring a little bit of the spiciness and edge that everybody loves about New York City out onto the streets. That being said, nobody is going to see anything triple-X rated at the street fair,” he said. “It’s just some, you know, good, dirty fun.”

The festival this year runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 22. Proceeds will benefit the Anti-Violence Project, Housing Works, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, and the HIV/AIDS-related services of The Center.

The festival will feature a two-hour stage show featuring yet-to-be-announced entertainers, and a beer garden sponsored by the Eagle NYC leather bar, 554 W. 28th St.